The Kind Of Guy
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: Set just after the end of "The Vengeance Formulation." Penny feels a little guilty about something, and goes to Leonard with it. Just a little something that had bothered me, and I felt Penny needed to emphasize a point she had made.


**So this isn't the story I have said I was going to write over Thanksgiving. I actually dreamt this last night, woke up at 2:30, and when it was fresh in my head wrote down a few sentences to remind me of it.**

**I own nothing.**

Penny watched as Bernadette walked over to the piano and leaned over it, kissing Howard on the mouth. Those watching cheered, and Howard's face went red. "Does this mean you've forgiven me?" Penny couldn't hear her response over the resumed chatter in the restaurant, but whatever she said prompted Howard to lean in and kiss her again.

As Penny watched them talk, the odd feeling she'd been having for the past few days surfaced again. She had no idea what the feeling meant, but whenever she was with Leonard, or even thought about him, it came up. It was a sense that she had left something undone, and it had been bothering her as to what it was ever since the night she'd told Howard that he needed to call Bernadette after ignoring her for a week. Now, seeing their friends together, she began to think about that night and what could possibly have triggered the reaction.

It wasn't until her drive home that she realized what it was, and she decided to pay her boyfriend a visit that night, before turning in. Reaching the fourth floor of her building, she knocked at his door.

"Hey, Penny," Leonard said upon answering. "Come on in."

Penny was halfway in the door when she saw Sheldon and Raj in the kitchen, huddled around a computer with horrified looks on their faces. She didn't even want to know what they were watching. "Listen," she said to Leonard, quietly. "I need to talk to you. In private." She backed up into the hallway, and Leonard followed, easing the door shut behind him. "Is it about Howard and Bernadette?"

"No. I'll let him tell you about that."

"Okay…then what's up?"

"Well," she said, struggling for word choice. She knew what she wanted to say, what she wanted to clarify, but she didn't know exactly how to voice her thoughts so her words wouldn't confuse him more. She was beginning to understand how he felt when trying to talk to her. "After Howard talked to Bernadette tonight, I was thinking, and…I realized what's been bothering me, lately."

Leonard looked confused.

"Do you remember the other night," Penny said, "when Howard and I were talking about you and you were sitting right there?"

He heaved a sigh. "Yes."

Maybe she was wrong to bring it up again, but still, she wanted to make sure. "Okay, well…I just kinda wanted to say that I was sorry about that."

His face visibly relaxed. "Penny, you don't have to-it really wasn't that big a deal."

"Honey, shhh." She stood directly in front of him. "It's a big deal to me. What I was saying about you…it was totally out of line and…" she took both of his hands. "I just wanted to reiterate, make sure, that you know that I am not simply settling for you. Know that I think you're a great guy, and I'm so, so lucky to be with you. I'm sorry if the other day I made you feel as if it should be the other way around. It totally shouldn't.

Leonard didn't look as if he knew what to say, but Penny could tell that her words made him feel better. Stepping closer, so their bodies were nearly touching, she smiled, letting go of his hands and moving hers up to his jaw line. As she kissed him, she felt his arms slide around her waist, pulling her close. She felt better. Much better. When the kiss ended, she hugged him around his shoulders and whispered in his ear.

"You're _better_ than the kind of guy I usually go out with."

**I know Penny did tell him that she looks for what's on the inside, but he still didn't look too happy about the whole conversation, so I guess that's why my subconscious dreamed (pun intended) this up. Now, see that green button? As Howard Wolowitz would say, "hit that thang!"**


End file.
